News, reviews and more
Blues fans are in for a treat when three of the very best in the business combine under the 'Ladies of the Blues' banner at Under The Bridge in London on March 23rd, 2018. Finnish slide guitarist Erja Lyytinen will join forces with two of the UK's best blues voices Connie Lush and Kyla Brox to showcase a wide range of blues influences. More about Erja, Connie, Kyla and venue details follows:
Read MoreWashington DC native Eli Lev recently released his debut EP 'All Roads East' with his band The Fortunes Found. Eli at first glance falls into the indie folk singer-songwriter category but give the EP a listen and you'll find a healthy disrespect for musical boundaries. The 5 track EP (now available from all official digital platforms) embraces folk, country with a dash of old-school rock n' roll to keep you on your toes. The first single from the EP 'Go Down' benefits from an unexpectedly cool funky groove while 'Long Way Back To Shonto' is bathed in bluesy slide guitar. If you're lucky enough to live in the Washington DC/Maryland/Virginia area Eli Lev is probably playing somewhere near you as I type. If not then more about Eli including the video for 'Go Down' follows:
Read MoreJoan Baez will release 'Whistle Down The Wind' her first studio album in a decade on March 2nd via Proper Records. The album was produced by Grammy winner Joe Henry in Los Angeles and features songs by some of Joan's favourite composers including Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan, Josh Ritter, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Eliza Gilkyson. Joan will be undertaking an extensive world tour with UK and ROI dates set for March and May 2018. Much more about the album, the tour and the title track from 'Whistle Down The Wind' follows:
Read MoreCanadian singer-songwriter Jerry Leger will see his latest album 'Nonsense And Heartache' released in the UK on March 2nd via Latent Recordings with distribution through Proper Music. The album is a double set with an album of bluesy, dirty rock n' roll and a more acoustic-based singer-songwriter record. The album was produced by Michael Timmins of Cowboy Junkies fame. Jerry Leger and his band The Situation will visit Europe in April for a run of shows that include UK dates. More about the album and the tour follows:
Read MoreThe famed Bluebird Cafe will return to the C2C event at the O2 in 2018. The Nashville institution has experienced an increase in visibility and popularity in recent years as an integral part of the Nashville TV show so expect tickets to be in high demand. Nashville is all about the songwriter so these seated songwriters round shows really get to the roots of the music. The O2 / C2C have also released details of the official Aftershow Parties for 2018 with Walker Hayes, Lukas Nelson & Promise of The Real, Brett Young with Morgan Evans set to please the late night music lovers (Glasgow will also have aftershow parties for our friends north of the border). More details follow:
Read MoreIconic UK progressive rock act YES will celebrate their 50th anniversary with a host of events set to coincide with their March 2018 UK tour. The London Palladium over the weekend of March 24-25th 2018 looks like being the essential destination for the hardcore YES / prog rock fan with Prog Magazine sponsoring the YES Fan Convention. Expect to see current band members, YES alumni and Roger Dean over the weekend and I'm pleased to report that all profits from the event are going to charity which is always great to hear. So why not come along, pick up a copy of the new Drama line-up version of 'Fly From Here' and enjoy live music from SeYes and Fragile. Full details and all the links for tickets etc follow:
Read MoreWith a Gold certified US #1 Billboard Country Airplay single 'Greatest Love Story' and extensive touring under their belts in 2017 with Dustin Lynch and Brothers Osborne. January 19th is the date for Lanco to release 'Hallelujah Nights' their debut Jay Joyce (Little Big Town, Eric Church, Zac Brown Band, Brothers Osborne) produced album. The numbers the band have amassed are pretty staggering with nearly 100 Million streams and 19 million video views. Much more about Lanco follows including a cool video trailer for the upcoming album:
Read MoreThe Kilkenny Roots Festival is celebrating 21 years in 2018 and the latest additions to the line-up include Mary Gauthier, who has an excellent new album 'Rifles & Rosary Beads' due in January, Irish songwriter Seamus Fogarty and, from the USA, The Blasters. With RGM fave Whitney Rose already announced alongside a host of impressive names that include Deep Dark Woods, Michael Nau and Nikki Lane this looks like an excellent weekend of great music. More about the festival and the artists set to appear follows:
Read MoreApril 2018 will see the release of the definitive Wishbone Ash box set. 'The Vintage Years' is a strictly limited edition (2,500 copies) deluxe 30 CD set authorised by all of the original band members. The set features 16 studio albums, 3 live albums (Live Dates 1 & 2 + Live In Tokyo) and 8 previously unreleased live albums. The studio albums all feature bonus material and the box also includes a 156 page hardback book and a host of memorablia including posters and a 7" flexi disc (which is about as retro as it gets). A breakdown of the contents of The Vintage Years (1970-1991) follows including a video trailer for the box follows:
Read MoreNashville Nights will return to West London to give fans an opportunity to see in 2018 with a Nearly New Year Party devoted to country music. The event takes place at Under The Bridge on December 29th and will feature live music from The Southern Companion. Full details about Nashville Nights and the evening follow:
Read MoreUK singer-songwriter Emily Faye recently visited Nashville to record an EP and the first new music from those sessions 'Open Road' is available now to stream or download. The EP will follow early in 2018 and she'll be touring to support the release. If you can't wait that long Emily will be at the famed Half Moon in Putney on November 6th and The Sound Lounge in Tooting on November 14th. More about Emily Faye including a live session video of 'Open Road' follows:
Read MoreNeil Foot, Ben Connolly and Kelvin Barr collectively known as All The Luck In The World will release their latest album 'A Blind Arcade' on February 23rd. The Irish trio, now based in Berlin, have released 'Landmarks' as a single and announced European tour dates for April 2018. More about the trio including the video for 'Landmarks' follows:
Read MoreJimmy Sweet readily admits “I have a place in my heart for the over dramatic” and he's not kidding. His debut single, due December 1st, is a cover of the 1979 Buzzcocks tune 'You Say You Don't Love Me' given a melancholy twist. The result is an ultra cool reworking that features enough sweeping strings and massed voices to do Jim Steinman proud. More about Jimmy and a link to the single follows:
Read MoreThe members of Belle Adair will need no introduction if you've been following the impressive run of releases on Single Lock Records as keyboardist Ben Tanner and drummer Reed Watson run the label. The band has effectively acted as the label house band in recent years backing label founder John Paul White and Donnie Fritts amongst others. Now Belle Adair are taking their place in the sun with the release of the Tom Schick (Wilco) produced 'Tuscumbia' which puts their personal spin on that rich Muscle Shoals musical heritage. More about Belle Adair follows including 'Get Away' the first single from the album:
Read MoreThe debut album from I'm With Her will be released February 16th, 2018 on the Rounder Records label. I'm With Her features a trio of artists blessed with considerable vocal and musical talent namely Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O'Donovan. Needless to say this makes 'See You Around' one of the most anticipated releases lined up for 2018. The title track from the album is available now so please read on to check out the track, along with more about the trio, and those May 2018 UK dates:
Read MoreWinner of the best LP cover I've seen this year goes to Los Plantronics. 'The Worst Is Yet To Come' brings together the best of their material from 1995-2017 and looks like an essential purchase for lovers of surf-rock, mariachi, rock n' roll and/or Mexican wrestling. The 2 LP set on Jansen Records is set for release on November 24th in the UK. Much more about Los Plantronics including a track listing for the album follows:
Read MoreOn January 5th, 2018 The Wailin' Jennys will release their first album of new material since 'Bright Morning Stars' in 2011 via True North Records in the UK. The record 'Fifteen' marks the fifteenth anniversary of the trio hence the title. The album features interpretations of some of their favourite songs including gems originally recorded by Tom Petty, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Paul Simon and Warren Zevon. More about The Wailin' Jennys, including a track-by-track of the songs on the new album, plus their version of the Tom Petty classic 'Wildflowers' follows:
Read MoreRegular RGM readers will need no introduction to Canadian singer-songwriter Colleen Brown who we featured on a UK tour back in 2015. Colleen has teamed up with fellow Canadians Scenic Route To Alaska for a new venture Major Love. The first new music from this partnership is the infectious 'Tear It Down' single with an album due early in 2018. More about the band and the video for 'Tear It Down' follows:
Read MoreTom Waits has remastered his Anti- catalogue and the reissue of the albums will commence on November 10th. Waits has referred to the process as “Necessary but cursedly laborious” but I'm sure fans will be keen to check out the new remasters which will include a completely new mix for the 'Real Gone' album. More details about the upcoming albums including release dates follows:
Read MoreThe Country to Country festival today (October 16th) announced additional acts and day splits so you'll know who's playing when on the weekend of March 9 - 11th, 2018 at The O2 in London. The additional names include Old Dominion, Morgan Evans and Ashley Campbell who will present a tribute to her late father Glen Campbell, a true country legend. The C2C festival is now the essential weekend for country fans in the UK and beyond. More about C2C including ticket details follow:
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